By raising demands on the eve of the constituent assembly elections, the Maoists are accused of being against polls. Why are you going against the very agenda you raised? On a superficial level, it looks like the CPN-M was behind the delay in elections. But if you take a closer look, you’ll see that the NC and other parties are the main culprits. Take a look at our demands, and see if they are legitimate or not. The parties are responsible for the election postponement because they refused to budge.

Don’t you see that you are endangering the peace process and a return to war?We have seen that danger. If the government tries to suppress our peaceful revolution with weapons then it will be clear that they have no desire to hold elections or change to a republic. I don’t think they’ll make such a stupid move. But history has shown that in extreme cases, people do resort to stupidity. So we haven’t dismissed that possibility.

In the span of one-and-a-half years, what have you accomplished and what have you lost?Our recently concluded fifth plenum answers this question. There were forces that tried to isolate us by labelling us terrorists. They have failed. The middle class no longer misunderstands us and we have established international relations. But there have also been losses. We have had trouble making the changes we wanted. We failed to make the people understand many of our agreements. Regressive forces have made use of that. Our weaknesses in madhesi, janjati and republican issues have been exposed.

Are you a hardliner?No. There are right-wingers, middle-of-the-roaders, and leftist factions in our own party and they are in constant conflict.

So where do you stand among those factions? We are revolutionaries and I fall into that category. Our party follows the revolutionary code. I am on the side of revolution and if the party line goes against my beliefs, then I will stand with the revolution.

It is said that you have tried to establish yourself against Chairman Prachanda.That is also part of a conspiracy. I do not surface in public much, and that is my weakness. This rumour has spread because certain factions wish it.

You have said that you do not want a republic like that in Iraq or Sikkim. We want a Nepali republic, where Nepalis make the decisions. Foreign help will be required, but not foreign direction. If foreigners try to direct us instead of just helping us, it will be an attack on our national integrity.

You have maintained that there is an Indian hand in everything, but we do not see you opposing it.Our line on India is clear. There are many treaties and agreements with Nepal that need to be changed. We don’t want to ruin our relationship with India, we want to make it better in the future. But our party will oppose India’s incorrect actions. Certain factions in India are hatching a conspiracy against the movement of the Nepali people. This is an attack on our independence. The madhesi incidents are also anti-national.

This week, Maoists have resigned from the government after most governing parties opposed their demand that the monarchy be abolished before the elections scheduled in November. They have clearly accused PM Koirala and his Nepali Congress of trying to protect King Gyanendra and have warned to start a new “people’s revolt” for the abolition of monarchy. Maoists were quick to gather that conservative elements in political parties are gathering together. Other coalition partners contend that the decision about Nepal’s future political system should be decided by a special assembly after the November elections.

Having suffered for decades at the hands of a brutal, Royal Nepalese Army, armed police and king’s other security forces, the people of Nepal rose in millions during the April revolution last year with a clear objective in mind: abolition of the centuries-old monarchy.

Despite American, Chinese and Indian chess games of diplomacy, the people of Nepal succeeded in putting their stamp on history and the king was forced to retreat and give up his absolute and unlimited powers. As in all revolutions, there was always the danger that the forces of reaction would regroup and old hawks of Nepali politics will try to have their way.

After over a decade of underground struggle, Maoists came over ground, disarmed and joined the government with the Seven Party Alliance. They put forward a series of unprecedented proposals for the restoration of true democracy, the disarming of the militia and drafting of a new Constitution. It was a brave decision by Maoists to outline the roadmap for a brave new Nepal.

Maoists, as much as the people, were always clear that monarchy should have no place in Nepali politics, that the country should be immediately declared a Republic. They never had any doubt that Nepal needs a general election, having abolished monarchy where the most marginalized – the dalits, the adivasis, madhesis, vanvasis, women, minorities and other weaker sections – will have adequate representation.

At that time the move was seen as an end to their armed rebellion and this little, beautiful Himalyan nation appeared to be on the threshold of a new era. This week, Maoists have resigned from the government after most governing parties opposed their demands that the monarchy be abolished before the elections scheduled for November.

They have clearly accused Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala and his Nepali Congress of trying to protect King Gyanendra and have warned to start a new “people’s revolt” for the abolition of monarchy. Other coalition partners contend that the decision about Nepal’s future political system should be decided by a special assembly after the November elections.

The Maoists had earlier joined the interim government in April 2006, after signing a peace agreement with the government. The new developments simply signify the fact that Nepal’s politics has been slowly but steadily lapsing into complacency from such momentous changes that were paving the way for not just consistent and lasting democratisation of the State but also its secularisation from a declared only Hindu State.

Maoists were quick to gather that conservative elements in political parties are gathering together. However, these forces would be compelled to come to negotiation with Maoists as the tide might rise once again. Maoists may have lost some ground after April Revolution of last year, but they have enough base to win back that ground. And they know it, for otherwise none is going to be as hard hit by new developments as Maoists who had laid down their weapons at a time when the mood in Nepal was upbeat.

The crisis that had been gathering over Nepal howsoever surreptitiously during past few months bode ill for the Maoists. And, they had no option but to take a strong decision to quit the government. Koirala had sadly been missing this till the Maoists decided to part away with his dispensation. Even if the country goes to polls on November 22, the appeal of the Maoists would be powerful, as they have raised more basic issues than merely electing legislators. So it is in the best interest of the government and the people to see as to how the Maoists’ participation in not just polls but the political process is won back.

India has come under Nepalese ire, for Koirala has been blamed of toeing New Delhi’s line. Yet, the fact is that the Manmohan Singh Government is grappling with its own crisis where the Left is miffed by it over the nuclear issue and it lacks the kind of cohesion that it had until last year when the Nepal crisis was solved.

India can facilitate in solving a crisis in a neighbouring country like Nepal, but it can only ill afford to dictate anything to any one. The move by Maoists has raised fresh questions about the peace process and stability in Nepal. Will the feudal, pro-monarchy forces and their external patrons come together for maneuver? Does the political mainstream of Nepal now belong to these elements or to radical forces?

Is the spirit of the April revolution still lingering in the hearts of Nepalese people? Are some of the parties engaging in a conspiracy against the peoples’ aspirations and demands? The answers to these and many other questions will unfold in coming weeks and months.

KATHMANDU, Sept 22 – The CPN-Maoist Saturday dismissed as “unfounded” some Indian media reports, which alleged that the Maoists were behind the disruption of Yoga Guru Swami Ramdev’s camp, which was due to start at Tundikhel in Kathmandu from Saturday morning.

“We believe that the camp should run smoothly. And, we request everyone to be assured of our belief,” Maoist spokesperson Krishna Bahadur Mahara said in a press statement issued Saturday.

One of the leading Indian news channels, Aaj Tak, this morning broadcasted a report citing unknown sources that Swami Ramdev was in danger due to the Maoist threat in Nepal.

“Such baseless, misleading propaganda is a conspiracy of the regressive forces against the people’s desire for republic and peace,” Mahara said of media reports.

Thousands of followers of Yoga Guru Swami Ramdev had to make a sad return after they received a last-minute confirmation that the Yoga Camp scheduled to begin from 5am this morning was postponed for Sunday morning.

According to the police administration, today’s Yoga Camp had to be cancelled owing to some security reasons.

In his statement, Mahara added, “We request the common people and the camp organizers not to be misled by such unfounded news-reports.”

“What we want to make it clear is that the Government of Nepal has itself stopped the camp under different pretexts while the talks on the camp were held last night with the concerned sides,” he added.

The Maoists have also taken an exception to some Indian media reports on Kapilvastu violence.

“Some Indian media have linked us to Kapilvastu incident. We consider this too as a part of the conspiracy to defame our party,” he added.

“We appeal the ordinary Nepali people who are in favour of the federal democratic republic and peace to defeat all conspiracies of the regressive elements to move ahead with care and determination,” the statement added.

Maoist-affiliated All Nepal National Independent Students Union-Revolutionary (ANNISU-R) on Wednesday announced an agitation to pressurise the government for the fulfillment of it’s demands.

Issuing a release, president of the ANNISU-R Lekhnath Neupane said the union will organise public hearings at all educational institutions from September 19 till October 3. During the public hearing, the corrupt and mafia present in the education sector will be exposed, Neupane said.

A belly rally will be organised in Baluwatar on September 26, motorcycle rallies in all the cities of the country on September 29 and a nationwide torch rally will be organised on October 3. The ANNISU-R said the students will join the general strike from October 4 to 6, announced by the CPN (Maoist).

ANNISU-R president Neupane, vice-president Ram Deep Acharya and general secretary Himal Sharma will lead the struggle in Kathmandu. Another vice-president Yubaraj Chaulagain will lead the struggle in Biratnagar, Kanchan Khanal in Pokhara, Bindaman Bista in Nepalgunj, Ramesh Malla in Butwal, CP Kadariya at Jhapa, Dinesh Yadav in Janakpur, Suresh Gautam in Chitwan, Anil Sharma in Dang and Narendra Neupane in Dhangadi.

Meanwhile, the Revolutionary Journalists’ Association on Wednesday submitted a 10-point memorandum to Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala, giving the latter 10 days to meet its demands.

Acting president of the RJA Govinda Acharya said they demanded that action be taken against the murderer of senior journalist Krishna Sen, whereabouts of the missing people be made public, compensation be provided to the journalists injured during the second Jana Andolan, Rs 1 million be provided to the families of the journalists killed during the movement and the recently-promulgated Working Journalists’ Act be enforced immediately.

Acharya said the association will wage a struggle if the government remains indifferent to its demands.During a corner meeting organised earlier by the association at Maitighar Mandala, president of the Network of Weeklies and Fortnightlies Dev Prakash Tripathee and Ganesh Basnet, general secretary of the Press Chautari Nepal, expressed solidarity with the association’s cause.

September 30, 07: Gheaoing the District Election Offices throughout During the Mass meet immediately the Maoists have unveiled their 19 day long protest programs. It follows:

September 19-21, 07: Campaign for creating awareness among the Masses for total proportional system.

September 22, 07: Demonstration and protest programs in front of the VDC’s and the Municipal offices throughout the country.

September 29-October 3, 07: Exposing the culprits of Janaandolan-II as outlined by the Rayamajhi Commission and the noted corrupts of the country.

October 4-6, 07: Nationwide Political Strike.

Speaking at the mass meet organized in the capital yesterday the Maoists deputy in command Dr. Babu Ram Bhattarai said that his party will wage the struggle within the framework of the Peace agreements singed in the past with the government.

“If our peaceful protests programs are forcefully quelled by the government, we will thus be forced to retaliate with appropriate measures”, Dr. Bhattarai said.

He also rebuked the Elections Code of Conduct (CoC) that came into effect from yesterday and said that his party was not obliged to follow the CoC as forwarded by the Election Commission.

“The sovereignty of Nepal as a nation state has not been digested by the Indian establishment, it appears”, said Dr. Bhattarai who is otherwise considered to be a close chum of the said establishment.

“The Indian rulers are hell bent on weakening the Maoists”, said Bhattarai further.

Bhattarai also bluntly alleged that September 2, 07 bombings in Kathmandu were plotted by Crown Prince Paras and his cohorts.

The working alliance with the Seven Parties is nearing an end, we are not obliged to work with those who have been found carrying the burden of the already dead institution of monarchy, Bhattarai continued.

From the same platform, Ram Bahadur Thapa alias Badal, another high ranking Maoists’ leader, said that the party was in the final stage of achieving its goal.

“The foreigners and their stooges in the country were trying hard to keep Nepal as a yam between two boulders however, we will burst like a dynamite now”, threatened Badal.

“We have won the battle by quitting the government, the seven party coalition is thus a lost case”, declared Badal- who is considered as a hardliner in the Maoists’ camp.

According to Badal the transitional period has thus come to an end.

Yet another Maoists’ leader Mr. Dev Gurung said that the country has been already Bhutanized.

The CPN (Maoist) has decided to quit the government as eight-party leaders failed to forge consensus on its demands.

Maoist ministers submitted their resignation to Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala as soon as the meeting of top leaders of four major ruling allies ended in a deadlock. The leaders had been engaged in hectic parleys from early morning today.

All four Maoist ministers – Krishna Bahadur Mahara, Dev Gurung, Hisila Yami and Khadga Bishwokarma – were at Baluwatar when the top leaders’ meeting was underway. They left Baluwatar at around 12:30 pm after submitting their resignation to the Prime Minister.

Leaders and intermediaries were engaged in bilateral and multilateral discussions since last couple of days in their attempt to convince the Maoist leaders not to announce departure from the coalition government.

PM Koirala has ‘rejected’ two key Maoist demands: announcement of republic before the polls and proportional representation-based election system.

The CPN-M is organising a mass meeting this afternoon at the Open Air Theatre from where it is announcing its exit from the government and the launching of nationwide protest movement.

Nepalgunj, Sep 9/ CPN-Maoist chairman Prachanda on Saturday directed party cadres to be ready for another revolution. He was addressing a workshop of the Tharuwan Rajya Samiti (TRS) in Bhurigaun of Bardiya. Some 500 key TRS leaders and cadres including district presidents, secretaries, committee members and office-bearers of TRS’ sister organisations are attending the workshop that will continue tomorrow also.

Prachanda said revolution was necessary as the government had still not laid the foundation for the constituent assembly election. “The CA can’ be set up under pressure. Therefore, be ready for another revolution,” he said.Prachanda said that within 10 days the Maoists would try and arrive at a fresh agreement with the seven political parties. Failing this, the Maoists will start their revolution from September 18. He added that unless the political aims were fulfilled, there was no point setting up the constituent assembly.Prachanda also said that the CPN-Maoist is preparing to convene a round-table conference of all left forces on September 11, adding that efforts will be made to form a new struggle committee of the Maoists and the left forces to jointly launch the revolution.

Speaking to the media at the Nepalgunj airport before returning to Kathmandu, Prachanda iterated that the possibility of the CA poll taking place was getting remote. “The government has not laid the foundation for the CA polls. Therefore, I have directed my party to be ready for another revolution,” he said. He said that atmosphere was not conducive for holding the CA polls, adding that holding the election in such a scenario would be fatal for the nation.The CA polls can be held only after the government concedes the 22-point charter of demands put forward by his party, said Prachanda. “The seven parties should work harder to create an atmosphere for the polls. Holding the polls in a situation like this would be a farce. The CA polls should be truly historic to be memorable,” he said.

Ruling out the necessity of deploying the army during the polls, Prachanda said that if security arrangements were tightened that would suffice. He insisted that the Maoist People’s Liberation Army also should be deployed during the polls if the Nepal Army is.

Prachanda said the CPN-Maoist was firm in its stand that the nation should be declared a republic before the CA polls. Referring to the recent blasts in Kathmandu, he said that it proved that the atmosphere was not right for the polls. He lauded the Nepali Congress party’s decision to go for a federal democratic republic, adding that it would certainly help in creating a proper situation for the polls.

Meanwhile, a Maoist party source said Prachanda, CPN-UML general secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal and Ekta Kendra general secretary Prakash also discussed the ideal model of a republic during their recently held talks.

First of all, we heartily welcome the entire journalists and other masses present in this press conference organized to make public the important decisions adopted by the recently concluded Fifth Expanded Meeting of the central committee of our glorious party the CPN (Maoist) that has been playing a leading role in the campaign of building a new democratic republic of Nepal. We are immensely feeling glory and pleasure to have had this opportunity of publicizing here the summary of the historic fifth expanded meting decisions synthesized as ‘great unity and great victory’.

1.The latest fifth expanded meeting of the central committee organized in the chain of expanded meetings that had had immense importance in the history of the CPN (Maoist) had been accomplished grandiosely from August 3 to August 8, 2007 in Balaju Industrial Area, Kathmandu.

a)The meeting was inaugurated amid applause by Chairman Comrade Prachanda by lighting a lamp at 4 PM on the third of August 2007 in the MartyrsMemorialBuilding . In the inaugural session that had begun by paying heartfelt homage to the great martyrs of the great people’s war and the mass movement, various senior comrades and advisors of the party, shedding light on the importance of the expanded meeting, had presented meaningful statements.

b)Altogether there were 2,174 comrades comprised of the central committee members of the party to the secretariat members of the district committee, to the general branch secretary of the PLA, central office bearers of mass and frontal organizations and invited members. Of them, there were 1,672 comrades from 75 districts, 455 from 7 divisions of the PLA, 40 from India, 5 from Europe and 2 from Hong Kong. It was the biggest gathering so far in our party history.

c)There had been discussions in 42 groups over the political proposal presented by Chairman Comrade Prachanda all the day long of August 4 and morning session of August 5 while the group leaders started presenting their comments and suggestions from the day session of August 5 and it was carried on to the evening of August 6. Chairman Comrade Prachanda clarified all the day long of August 7 the spirit of the document and replied the questions arisen therefrom. The document was unanimously adopted in the very evening.

d)All the day long of August 8, there had been a concluding program in which 42 comrades presented opinion based on their feeling. Chairman Comrade Prachanda, saying that the historic fifth expanded meeting was a meeting of great unity and great victory, concluded at 5:30 evening of the very day. At the last, different sky-piercing slogans were chanted.

e)The PLA and the YCL had provided security to the meeting and the central command had made the whole logistical arrangement. Samana and Sen-Chyang family had presented various cultural programs in between.

2.The central question of the expanded meeting was the proposal “Unite to make a new ideological advance and a new revolutionary movement” presented by Chairman Comrade Prachanda. There had been very high and profound democratic discussions among the representatives divided in 42 groups over the proposal and important amendments were suggested. By incorporating the suggestions, the proposal was at the last adopted unanimously. The important aspects of the document are as follows.

a)There are three important sections in the document. Important ideological and political questions have been discussed in the first part. In the second part, the past movement and peace-negotiation has been reviewed. And in the third, light has been shed on the forthcoming tactic and the party plan.

b)In the context of discussing “Some fundamental theoretical questions” emphasis has been given upon the question of distinguishing the difference between the Marxist and opportunist outlook mainly on compromise, reform and revolution, and revolutionaries are instructed to remain resolute in MLM and Prachanda Path by way of struggling against right capitulationism, centrist vacillationism and ‘left’ adventurism. In the present backdrop of negotiations and peaceful development of revolution, the question in which the revolutionaries should specially prioritize ideological struggle is against the rightist tendency of “enjoying in the status quo, conceiving of compromise and reform as everything and refusing to propel the revolution forward” has been mentioned in the document. Likewise, it has been mentioned in the document that the struggle against the centrist opportunism that surfaces in different forms in which one always falls prey to vacillation between right and wrong, talks of revolution but practices right reformism and shows sense of disappointment, frustration and escape must not be undervalued. Also, the document has cautioned the revolutionaries to remain cautious towards the danger of ‘left’ phrase-mongering and adventurism that “Without having concrete analysis of the concrete situation subjectively opposes all kinds of compromises”.

c)Discussing the strategy and tactic of revolution, it has been clarified in the document that the party, going ahead with flexible tactic and firm strategy of democratic revolution, has synthesized a slogan of all party conference, interim government and constituent assembly election as a political tactic while arriving at the historic second national conference accomplished in 2001 and the same with modification has been carried on till now from the Chunwang Meeting held in 2005. Likewise, in relation to tactical slogan of democratic republic, quoting the decision of Chunwang meeting the document says, “Party has regarded the democratic republic neither in the form of bourgeois parliamentarian republic nor in the form of the new democratic republic. With an extensive restructuring of the state power, this republic will play a role of transitional multiparty republic as to resolve the problems related to class, nation, region and sex.”

d)Likewise, in the context of assessing peace-negotiations and the events following it, the CPN (Maoist), which had not incorporated itself in the old parliamentary main stream, but had, preserving the achievements of 10 years of people’s war, participated in a transitional state of compromise to institutionalize through constituent assembly the new type of democratic republic but now it has been concluded that the major parliamentarian parties leading the government, going against the spirit of 12-point understanding, have destroyed the basis of unity with the CPN (Maoist). In particular, “Although it had been said that army would be confined at barracks and PLA at the cantonments as to make the interim state a neutral one as far as possible and all of the decisions to run the state would be taken up in consensus, the theoretical, political and moral basis for the CPN (Maoist) to stay in government is getting to an end because the state in the present transitional period has been tried to run as the state of feudal, bureaucrat and comprador bourgeois” has been the important conclusion of the resolution. So cautioning seriously the forces that lead the interim government the proposal says, “The CPN (Maoist) will have no alternative to go to movement by quitting the government, if it is not guaranteed to ensure running of the interim government in accordance with the spirit of the agreement, bring an end to terror and regressive feudal conspiracy taking place against the constituent assembly election by declaring republic, take up actions against the criminals involved in a series of killings in Madhesh, publicize the state of disappeared citizens, impartially distribute relief to the families of martyrs, push forward the process of scientific land reform according to the spirit of the interim constitution, take up effective steps to stop killings, conspiracies and terror against the CPN (Maoist) and treat the PLA respectfully”.

e)Summing up that the party tactic from the 12-point understanding to the participation in the interim government was correct and politically advantageous; however, in the resolution serious self-criticism has also been made on behalf of the party for some mistakes and weaknesses committed in this course.

1)In the later part and mainly after the Gaur-massacre, there was a mistake on the way how should the party have made coordination between compromise and struggle. It was the main aspect of the party weakness.

2)While making compromises with the parliamentarian parties masses should have been informed of those agreements and mobilized along them as far as possible. Especially when party failed to inform the masses of the struggle that the party had kept up on the federal state system and proportional election till the last minute inside Baluwatar room, it provided opportunity for the reactionaries and opportunists to launch a campaign against the party by spreading confusion that Maoists left their agenda on Madhesh.

3)After joining the interim parliament and interim government, there have been some limitations on the way how should have we gone with preparation, plan and the spirit in struggles to carry out minimum possible tasks for the masses.

4)Likewise, there have been weaknesses on the questions like inner party communication, external propaganda, work in Madhesh, economic field etc.

f)In the resolution, decisions have been taken up to develop special policies and plans to repeatedly proletarianize, rectify and consolidate the party and develop new unity on the new basis in agreement with party’s new line and complexities. Accordingly, the property of all the central committee members has been publicized to initiate party rectification from the central level and supervision from broad cadres and even the masses on it has been anticipated. Also, it has been decided to have extensive changes in the party’s organizational structure and division of labor and launch a campaign to build organizations up to villages.

g)The expanded meeting has also adopted different resolutions over some important and timely issues. Like for example: resolution on Madhesh, resolution on propaganda and publication, resolution on mass organizations, resolution on national and regional fronts, resolution on revolutionary polarization and republican front, resolution on international communist movement, resolution on three weapons of revolution etc.

h)Naturally, the most important and an issue of people’s concern has been the evaluation of present situation and in accordance with it party’s forthcoming tactic and plan. The document has appraised today’s political situation as “to have been manifested in the form of a very fluid and serious revolutionary crisis.” In the same manner, it has been pointed out that a situation of triangular contradiction among feudal royalist forces, status quoist bourgeois parliamentarian forces and revolutionary democratic forces exists and all of them are trying to hold sway of their own. The fact that has been emphasized on is that the future of constituent assembly election depends upon the relative supremacy of these three forces and the revolutionary democratic forces should set up the sequence of their strategy and tactic in compliance with it. Pointing out that the country is now at the frontier of a big revolutionary possibility and an awful accident it has been mentioned in the document that revolutionary democratic forces, by appraising it correctly, should take up proper tactical steps. For that, party has emphasized on the need to create a broad mass movement by keeping up a strong unity with the republicans and left forces. For the reason that the domestic and foreign reactionary powers are not in favor of constituent assembly election but are conspiring to avoid it by laying the blame on the CPN (Maoist) and mobilize army in the name of law and order, the resolution concludes that the mass movement “Should be propelled forward as a serious initiative to build up suitable environment and prerequisites in favour of the forthcoming constituent assembly election”. In order for this, it has been concluded that Roundtable Conference, Republic and Constituent Assembly should be made the main slogan of the movement. In addition, emphasizing on the need to continue with ceasefire and the peace process, it has been said in the document that “Taking into account of today’s international and national situation that kind of movement can be and should be propelled forward by continuing with the ceasefire and the peace process”.

3)The central committee meeting held after the conclusion of the expanded meeting has shaped three separate committees to organize roundtable conference among agitating different groups, political forces and representatives of the civil society, take initiative for unity among different left forces, and prepare party manifesto for the forthcoming constituent assembly election and the mass movement.

To prepare for roundtable conference and have talks with different sections, under the leadership of comrade Ram BahadurThapa (Badal) a committee made up of comrade Barshaman Pun (Ananta), comrade MatrikaYadav, comrade HisilaYami and comrade LekhrajBhatta has been constituted.

In order to have talks with different left forces, under the leadership of comrade Mohan Vaidya ( Kiran) a committee made up of comrade Barshaman Pun (Ananta) and comrade Dinanath Sharma has been constituted.

In the same way, in order to prepare manifesto, a committee made up of comrade Dev Gurung, comrade Dinanath Sharma, comrade MatrikaYadav, comrade HitmanShakya, comrade PamphaBhusal, comrade Janardan Sharma (Prabhakar), comrade GopalKirati and comrade KhadkaBahadurViswakarma under the convenorship of comrade BaburamBhattarai has been built up.

Journalist friends,

We, the Nepalese, are now in a very sensitive and serious transitional juncture. At this time, revolution and counterrevolution, progress and regress are conflicting at close. The recently concluded fifth expanded meeting of the central committee of our glorious party has taken up a historic decision to prop up revolution and progress by institutionalizing republic and defeating counterrevolution and regress. For this, we expect active help and support from all including entire patriots, republican and left political forces, civil society and media persons. Thank you!

Kathmandu, Aug. 24: The CPN-Maoist, in an effort to solicit suggestions and muster support of civil society and the people for its 22-point demands that were announced a few days ago as the pre-conditions for the constituent assembly election, organised a massive interaction programme in the capital on Friday in which the Maoist leadership vowed to launch a decisive struggle to abolish monarchy and establish a democratic republic.

“We are in the historic process of holding the constituent assembly election, which is a great opportunity for the Nepalese people to shape the fate and future of the country but there are equally strong challenges and hurdles before us in accomplishing the goal of creating a new Nepal,” said Maoist chairman Prachanda.

He said that the feudal elements under the patronage of monarchy are the biggest hurdle in holding free and fair constituent assembly election and abolition of monarchy and declaration of a republic was a must prior to the CA election. The Maoist supremo, however, believed that such hurdles could be easily overcome only through the united efforts of the political forces and the people.

The Maoists had earlier unveiled 22-point demands as the condition for ensuring the smooth conduct of the constituent assembly election and had announced that they would launch a movement if their demands were not met. The demands included, among others, abolition of monarchy, declaration of a republican set up, fully proportional representation election system and action against those who have been indicted by the Rayamajhi Commission.

In the interaction, leaders and members of civil society and professional groups had raised several issues relating to the CA election and current political situation. According to them, constituent assembly election must be held under any circumstance and the ongoing political and peace process must not be aborted.

There was unanimity that monarchy was the main hurdle but the speakers were divided on the modus operandi of the Maoist agitation.

Some speakers like Dr Sundar Mani Dixit, Dr. Gunanidhi Sharma, Om Gurung, Dr. Arun Sayami, Shyam Shrestha, Daman Nath Dhungana, Laxman Aryal, Kanak Dixit, Sitaram Tamang, Indrajit Rai and Navaraj Subedi supported the republican set up. However, some of them expressed reservation on some issues that Maoists have raised on the eve of the election.

Daman Nath Dhungana and Shyam Shrestha questioned whether it was the right time to raise this issue again as the seven party alliance and the Maoists had earlier agreed that the fate of the monarchy would be decided in the first meeting of the Constituent Assembly.

Indra Bahadur Rai, a security expert, was a bit critical of the current security situation and YCL activities and suggested that both army and the Maoist People’s Liberation Army should be mobilised during the election.

Navaraj Sudedi, a lawmaker, supported most of the 22-point demands and suggested the Maoists to be prepared to quit the government for republic.

On the issues and concerns raised by the participants, Maoist chairman Prachanda said, ” Nepalese people saw a great miracle in the form of an agreement and unity between the seven parliamentary parties and revolutionary force that was established after the ten year people’s war and we also thought that another miracle would be possible by holding constituent assembly election through which monarchy could be abolished and republican set up declared,”

The Maoist Chairman refuted the charges of some political parties that the CPN-Maoist was shying away from the CA elections.

“We waged the people’s war to address the disparity in the Nepalese society and draft a new constitution through the CA elections,” he said.

How can a party that came up with the agenda of the CA, backtrack from its own commitments?” he questioned.

Prachanda said that his party had shown maximum flexibility in signing different agreement with the coalition partners with the hope that families of nearly ten thousand CPN-Maoist militias who lost their lives in the people’s war would be duly compensated by the state.

The CPN-Maoist also had strong hopes that the government would make public the whereabouts of thousands of disappeared people. “Although the government had committed that it would make public their whereabouts in 25 days, nothing concrete has been done to keep its commitment despite the elapse of 25 months.

He said his party was in support of CA that would give an outlet to all the social and political problems besetting the nation. `The current political situation indicates that the CA to be elected on Nov 22 would not address the demands and aspirations of the Nepalese at large but would fulfill the interests of a particular group which are not in support of real political change in the country,” Prachanda said.

“We do not want an election which is similar to the election of the Panchayat days (Rastriya Panchayat),” he said adding, going by the present situation postponing the election by four or five months would do no harm to the nation,” he added.

“We are in support of CA elections that would look into the demands of people from all cross sections of the society ? dalits, Mahesis, women, indigenous, ethnic and oppressed communities.”

Prachanda also warned that his party would take a stern step if its cadres continued to be gunned down in the Terai and other parties of the country with the government turning a deaf ear to such forms of violence.

The Maoist Supremo said the CPN-Maoist had entered the peace agreement with the seven parties believing that the issues of inclusive republican democracy, compensation to the martyrs’ families and the whereabouts of those disappeared in the course of the people’s movement would be made public.

“But the parties took advantage of our leniency and betrayed us, so we strongly feel that we should not go to the polls without getting our demands addressed,” he said adding, “We will, however, not abandon the peace process or break our understanding with the seven parties.”

Substantiating the need for a fresh round of struggle, he said the recent developments have proved that monarchy and constituent assembly cannot go together, which forced us to launch a movement for a republic,” the Maoist chairman said.

According to the Maoist leader, the movement was necessary to instill public enthusiasm for the election and political transformation as the euphoria and excitement that the Jana Andolan II had aroused among the people had slowly died down.

Earlier, senior Maoist leader Dr. Baburam Bhattarai, highlighting the objective of the interaction, said that his party wanted to go to the people and educate them on the recent political developments, for which the party has felt the need to solicit suggestions from the civil society.